The purpose of the half-day workshop is to provide a platform for the key managers and decision makers of the Albanian Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to learn about the international experience regarding the functioning of the centre of government (CoG) and to engage in a facilitated discussion about potential ways forward for increasing the role and effectiveness of the OPM.

1. 2 Rue André Pascal
75775 Paris Cedex16
France
mailto:sigmaweb@oecd.org
Tel: +33 (0) 1 45 24 8200
www.sigmaweb.org
This documenthas been produced withthefinancialassistanceofthe European Union (EU). It should
not be reported as representing theofficialviews ofthe EU, the OECD or its member countries, or of
partners participating in theSIGMAProgramme. Theopinions expressed and arguments employed are
those ofthe authors.
This document, as well as anydata and any map includedherein,arewithoutprejudiceto thestatus of
or sovereignty over any territory, tothedelimitationofinternationalfrontiers and boundaries and to
the name ofany territory, city or area.
© OECD 2017 – The use of this material, whether digital or print, is governed by the Terms and
Conditions to be found on the OECD website page http://www.oecd.org/termsandconditions.
Workshop on the functioning of the Centre of Government in Albania with a
regional outlook and EU insight
Background
A well-functioningpolicy-makingsystemisakeypillarof a transparentand effective democratic system.
It isalso a crucial preconditionforthe countrytomake progressinthe Europeanintegration(EI) process.
The institutional architecture at the centre of government (CoG) for carrying out policy-planning and
co-ordination functions should be in place and able to ensure the well-organised and competent
functioningof the policy-makingsystem. The CoG is defined through the key functions typically carried
out bythe GovernmentOffice/General Secretariat,the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the body responsible
for legal conformityandthe bodyresponsibleforEIwhenfulfillingthe policy-planning,co-ordinationand
developmentfunctions.Asdefinedinthe Principlesof Public Administration for EU accession countries,
developedbySIGMA inco-operationwiththe EuropeanCommission1
there are nine critical functions, to
be implemented by the CoG, that are necessary for a well-organised, consistent and competent
policy-makingsystem.These are: 1) co-ordinationof preparationof the governmentsessions; 2) ensuring
legal conformity; 3) co-ordination of preparation and approval of the government’s strategic priorities
and work programme; 4) co-ordination of the policy content of proposals for government decision
making, including defining the policy preparation process and ensuring coherence with government
priorities;5) ensuringthatpoliciesare affordable andco-ordinationof publicsectorresource planning; 6)
co-ordinationof the government’scommunicationactivities toensure acoherent government message;
7) monitoring of the government’s performance to ensure the government collectively performs
effectivelyandkeepsitspromisestothe public; 8) handlingrelationsbetweenthe governmentandother
parts of the state (president, parliament); 9) co-ordination of EI affairs.
Analysis of the setup of the CoG in the Western Balkans2
shows that approach of the Western Balkan
governments to the set-up of the CoG varies. However, it is crucial to fulfil all critical functions,
irrespectiveof the institutionalset-up,andtoensure thatthere isclarityon the distributionof functions,
smooth co-operation between various units, and proper allocation of resources for fulfilling the
functions. Key challenges for CoG institutions across the Western Balkans consist of improving their
performance in planning the work of the government, analysing policy content, and monitoring the
government’s performance. This involves:
 streamlining the medium-planning system, in particular increasing coherence in the central
planning of the government’s work and decreasing implementation backlog through more
realistic planning and processes for improved implementation;
 creation of linkages between planning and financial affordability of policies, in particular
improving costing of policies and aligning financial and policy planning;
1 SIGMA (2014), The Principles of Public Administration, OECD Publishing, Paris.
2 Hereinafter ’Western Balkans’ refers to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, the former YugoslavRepublic of
Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.
* This designationis without prejudice to positions onstatus, andis inline withUnitedNations Security Council Resolution
1244/99 and the AdvisoryOpinionof the InternationalCourt of Justice on Kosovo’s declarationof independence.

2. 2
 consolidation of the sector policy planning through improving the planning framework,
decreasing fragmentation of the sector strategies and increasing the quality of strategy
development;
 strengthening of the monitoring of the government’s performance through creating a more
coherent framework, moving towards monitoring the outcomes of the work and increasing
transparency of the system.
Increasing the capacities of the CoG, improving co-operation both between and within the CoG
institutions,andtakingamore active role indevelopingthe policyplanningandco-ordinationsystemwill
enable the CoG to overcome these challenges and improve the system.
Purpose of the Workshop
In lightof the formationof the newAlbanianGovernment,itsambitiousprogramandthe expectationsof
the citizens,itisessentialtotake a closerlookat how the existing setup of the Albanian CoG, especially
the settingof the Office of the Prime Minister(OPM) functionsfroma regional perspective and vis-à-vis
the SIGMA Principles and learn from the international experience about potential ways for further
enhancement.
The purpose of the half-dayworkshophence istoprovide aplatformforthe keymanagersand decision
makersof the OPMto learnaboutthisinternational experience andtoengage ina facilitateddiscussion
aboutpotential waysforward.
AGENDA
Tuesday, 3 October 2017
9.30 – 9.40 Welcome andintroductory remarks
 Mr Engjell Agaci, SecretaryGeneral of the OPM
 Mr Bagrat Tunyan, SeniorAdviser,CountryCo-ordinatorforAlbania,SIGMA
9.40 – 10.00 Introduction ofthe SIGMAcomparative paper on the WesternBalkan CoGs
 Mr Peter Vagi,SeniorAdviser,SIGMA
10.00 – 10.20 Recentfindingsabout the performance of the AlbanianCoG
 Mr Bagrat Tunyan, SeniorAdviser,CountryCo-ordinatorforAlbania,SIGMA
10.20 – 11.50 Facilitateddiscussionand Q & A - increasingthe role and effectivenessofthe
OPM as a CoG Institutionin Albania
11.50 – 12.00 The way forward - Summary of keymessagesand concluding remarks
 Mr Engjell Agaci, SecretaryGeneral of the OPM